GMG Topics

About

The Global Migration Group (GMG) was an inter-agency group bringing together heads of agencies to promote the wider application of all relevant international and regional instruments and norms relating to migration, and to encourage the adoption of more coherent, comprehensive and better coordinated approaches to the issue of international migration. The GMG was particularly concerned with improving the overall effectiveness of its members and other stakeholders in capitalizing upon the opportunities and responding to the challenges presented by international migration.

Background

The GMG was established by the United Nations Secretary-General in early 2006 in response to a recommendation of the Global Commission on International Migration for the establishment of a high-level inter-institutional group of agencies involved in migration-related activities. The GMG was created by building on an existing inter-agency group with a more limited membership, the Geneva Migration Group, which was established in April 2003. At present, the Group is comprised of 22 UN entities.

Apart from sustaining the inter-agency cooperation in the field of international migration, the Group contributed to the Global Forum on Migration and Development (GFMD), an intergovernmental process that emerged after the General Assembly High Level Dialogue on International Migration and Development in September 2006.

The GMG met at regular intervals. The Chair was held on a rotating basis by the executive heads of its member organizations.

In his December 2017 report, entitled “Making Migration Work for All”, the UN Secretary General outlined his vision on strengthening the UN system’s coordination on migration, to enable the UN to act as a source of ideas and policy guidance, as well as a convener, for the implementation of the New York Declaration for Refugees and Migrants and the Global Compact on Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration (GCM)adopted in 2018.

Following extensive system-wide consultations and the proposal by the UN Deputy Secretary-General and the Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General for International Migration, the UN Secretary-General decided, at a meeting of the Executive Committee on 23 May 2018, to establish a UN Network on Migration, as a successor to the Global Migration Group, to ensure effective, coordinated system-wide support to the implementation of the GCM.

In the GCM, Member States “welcome the decision of the Secretary-General to establish a UN Network on migration to ensure effective and coherent system-wide support to implementation, including the capacity-building mechanism, as well as follow-up and review of the Global Compact, in response to the needs of the Member-States. (para 44-45 GCM)” The GCM further notes that a) IOM will serve as the coordinator and secretariat of the Network; b) the Network will fully draw from the technical expertise and experience of relevant entities within the UN system; and c) the work of the Network will be fully aligned with existing coordination mechanisms and the repositioning of the UN Development System.

Former Chairs

January-December 2018 - The GMG was co-Chaired in 2018 by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the International Organization for Migration (IOM). Click here for the co-Chairs' report.

July – December 2010 - Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights. Click here for the Chair's report.

January - June 2010 - United Nations Development Programme. Click here for the Chair's report.

June - December 2009 - United Nations Institute for Training & Research

July - December 2008 - United Nations Conference on Trade & Development

January - June 2008 - United Nations Population Fund. Click here for the Chair's report.

July - December 2007 - United Nations Department of Social & Economic Affairs. Click here for the Chair's report.

January - June 2007 - International Organization for Migration. Click here for the Chair's report.

July - December 2006 - United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees

January - June 2006 - United Nations Conference on Trade & Development

News

Thank you for your interest in the Global Migration Group.

Please be advised that following extensive system-wide consultations and the proposal by the UN Deputy Secretary-General and the Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General for International Migration, the UN Secretary-General decided, at a meeting of the Executive Committee on 23 May 2018, to establish a UN Network on Migration, as a successor to the Global Migration Group, to ensure effective, coordinated system-wide support to the implementation of the Global Compact on Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration.

The UN Network on Migration can be contacted via its Secretariat at unmignet@iom.int